THE HISTORY OF TURN OFF CHANNEL ZERO (As told by Carlos Muhammad)

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THE HISTORY OF TURN OFF CHANNEL ZERO (As told by Carlos Muhammad)

Luv4self Press

September 5, 2007

When Luv4self columnist GWBUSHWACKER attacked Flavor Flav and the
"Flavor of Love" none of us knew that this online conversation would
become the beginning of a mass movement called TURN OFF CHANNEL ZERO
(TOCZ) that began on the LUV4SELF NETWORK.

A few responses from Professor Griff expressing his obvious disgust for
how Flavor Flav was single handedly destroying the reputation and legacy
of the Rap Group Public Enemy caused Hip Hop Columnist Davey D to chime
in and offer the suggestion for us to produce our own show exposing
negative media images and shows like the "Flavor of Love". The attack
soon broadened to Viacom ran stations B.E.T, M.T.V, VH1 and other
conglomerates and media outlets (including radio) that display Blacks in
a negative light.

Opio Sokoni became the front man for the job and soon pulled the whole
crew together. Professor Griff would be the leading man in the film and
activists, authors, students and community leaders would soon jump on
board. Paul Porter, Steve Muhammad, Bessie Winn, Sawanda Nzinga, Top
Cat, Carlos Muhammad and the rest of the TOCZ crew was pulled in.
Various conference calls resulted in Opio finally requesting a name for
the project.

I remember thinking of several names before the song by Public Enemy
"She watch channel zero" popped in my head. I immediately sent out an
email to Opio and the group suggesting the name Turning off Channel
Zero. Opio responded "I love it" but responded that we should make it
more of a demand then an action and later suggested that we call it TURN
OFF CHANNEL ZERO. Thus the TOCZ movement was born.

Soon the filming began in Atlanta, Oakland, Baltimore, NYC, Boston and
other cities across America. Upon completion of the filming, actual
screenings started taking place starting off in Chicago Illinois when
sister Tasleem Firdausee jumped on board. Soon after, screenings were
done in Atlanta, DC, NYC, Baltimore, California and places as far as
London and Japan. Movement surrounding the film started taking place and
others began to jump on board. This movement has picked up momentum and
several screenings are scheduled on a monthly bases throughout the US
and abroad.

When Steven Muhammad who runs all of the web, Myspace pages and PR for
the movement asked Carlos Muhammad to comment on his and the Luv4self
Networks involvement with the project Carlos Muhammad's reply was "I can
honestly say that little things like having something to do with the
naming of this project and being the moderator and co-creator of the
forum THE LUV4SELF NETWORK that the movement was initiated on have meant
so much to me".

The TOCZ movement has just begun and it won't end until we do what the
film suggests and that's TURN OFF CHANNEL ZERO.

For more info on TURN OFF CHANNEL ZERO log unto the web at
myspace.com/turnoffchannelzero
<http://www.myspace.com/turnoffchannelzero>